Liverpool Linked With £43m Playmaker After Klopp’s Handed January Kitty

Jurgen Klopp has been handed a £40m transfer kitty for the January transfer window as Liverpool look to boost their title challenge with fresh faces this month, according to a report in the Mirror.

The Merseysiders currently sit second in the Premier League table and just five points adrift of leaders Chelsea so they are in a solid position to make a real push for their first title since 1990 during the second half of the season.

Many feel Liverpool’s biggest weakness is at the back as they’ve conceded the most goals among the top six clubs with a reliable goalkeeper or dominant centre-back among the positions that fans and pundits alike have been calling for.

However, it seems Klopp has other ideas as the Mirror are citing a report from SportBild that claims the German coach has been handed a £40m transfer kitty this month and is targetting attacking reinforcements.

With Daniel Sturridge picking up yet another injury, Philippe Coutinho still working his way back to full fitness following a serious ankle problem and Sadio Mane off to the Africa Cup of Nations, it looks like Klopp wants to strengthen his options in the final third.

It seems the Liverpool boss already has some targets in mind as the Mirror claim that Liverpool have been linked with a move for Bayer Leverkusen’s £43million-rated playmaker Julian Brandt.

The 20-year-old has been in excellent form in the Bundesliga having scored 2 goals and provided a further 6 assists so far and his versatility in the attack would certainly provide Klopp with plenty of options if they were able to get a deal agreed.

However, Leverkusen may be reluctant to lose the young German international midway through the season so the Mirror say that Arsenal’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Inter Milan’s Gabigol are also on Klopp’s radar.

Any move for The Ox is likely to be met with resistance from the Gunners in January as Arsene Wenger is highly unlikely to sell to a direct rival so Gabigol could be the most realistic target of three players mentioned.

The Brazilian has struggled to make an impact at the San Siro since joining Inter last August and his agent was quoted by ESPN as saying last month that the forward is unhappy at the club and could look for a move in January.